Sacred Postnatal Harmony

Are you expecting? You need to build your village before birth. Rest is one of the pillars of
postpartum. ' 3 days in the bed, 3 days on.the bed,
and 3 day'3 days in s around the bed. Mothers need support to rest after birth. A village to cook food, do the housework and everything else so you can rest and bond with your baby.

This journey, with all its heartache and joy, is leading you somewhere more beautiful than you ever imagined. You are exactly where you need to be. Keep going—you’re doing better than you think

The Atlas of Motherhood

Are you pregnant in Castlemaine and surrounds?
You have probably planned for your birth, but have you planned for your postpartum? Download my free postpartum planning worksheet here:
www.sacredpostnatalharmony.com.au
If you would like a postpartum planning session to work together in more detail, contact me to book.

It takes a village to raise a child. Mothers need a village to support them after birth. Wise women are one part of a postpartum village.

Hi, Im Libby.
I'm a Postpartum doula and massage therapist.
I support mothers in Castlemaine and surrounds after birth. I come to your home after your baby arrives for postpartum visits. I want you to feel rested, cared for and loved.
I nuture you with postpartum massages, nourish you with postpartum specific food, do ligjt housework, hold your baby while you shower or nap or whatever you need that day.
Contact me by dm or or call to chat about how we can work together during your postpartum.
M: 0429167059

Hi, Im Libby, a Certified postpartum professional.
My passion is supporting and caring for mothers after birth in Castlemaine and surrounds to feel rested, nurtured and nourished.
My services include in-home pregnancy and postpartum massage, cooking postpartum specific food and postpartum care visits in your home. Contact me by dm or email:
www.sacredpostnatalharmony.com.
M 0429167059

The Fourth Trimester 👶

We spend so much time & energy during pregnancy thinking about, dreaming of & planning for our birth… but what about what comes after — the fourth trimester? How are you going to support yourself, your new baby & your family in those early days? And how do YOU want to be supported?

So often in our culture, the fourth trimester is not talked about or planned for. And yet this period is just as important as everything that’s happened in the lead up.

In many cultures around the world they have a 40 day ‘laying in’ period post birth, which allows the mother to fully heal & for her & baby to bond, learn how to breastfeed, get to know each other & for the baby to ease into life earth-side.

I have loved this period. It’s been a beautiful, special & sacred time full of rest, day naps, lots & lots of baby gazing, nourishing food, early nights, & moving very slowly, just the 3 of us. It’s been heaven 🙌

During my pregnancy, I was very intentional about setting myself up for a nourishing, supportive fourth trimester. I shared our plan with our family & friends (because as we all know, it takes a village) & wanted to share some of the things we have been doing with you too:

💜We hired a cleaner when baby girl was born. This was our gift to ourselves.

💜My besties organised a meal train for 4 weeks, which meant we had nourishing, organic meals delivered to our door every day. Check out the free website mealtrain.com to set one up.

💜We also had my mother-in-love (a.k.a. mother-in-law) supporting us. She would pick up our mail, supplies, hang our washing, fold our washing, do our food shopping at the farmers’ market & even take out the bins... what a legend, right?!

💜My besties also organised 4 ayurvedic body work sessions with at my house. This has been heaven!🙏

💜In week 4, I started doing 10-15 minutes of yin yoga each day whilst baby girl was asleep.

💜I had epsom salt sitz baths, which help with healing & are so good for your mental health.

Repost Melissa Ambrosini

Are you pregnant in Castlemaine and surrounds?
Mothers need care, rest and community after birth to heal and rejuvenate. I'm a Certified traditional Postpartum birth worker.
My services include postpartum planning sessions, in-home pregnancy and postpartum massage and postpartum care visits, cooking postpartum specific food and more.
To book a massage or find out more about how I can support you after the arrival of your baby, email or dm me. Libby 🌸
www.sacredpostnatalharmony.com.au

We were never meant to live like this. Want to know why you’re so tired? It’s not just because your baby wakes all night. It’s not just because you’re nursing 24/7. It’s not because of your baby’s biological needs. It’s because we were never meant to live like this. In so much isolation. So alone. We were meant for a village. We were meant to lay in bed for weeks/months feeding and sleeping on and off with our new baby while our mothers, grandmothers, sisters, cousins, neighbors, and friends helped out.

But there is no mother bringing us food and water. No grandma cooking the meals. No sisters playing with the other children. No cousins folding the laundry. No neighbors taking care of the house, and no friends providing support. Modern life is in constant conflict with childrearing and our biological needs. From returning to work at 6 weeks postpartum to little to no support in the postpartum period. The truth is many of us are just lucky enough to have someone drop a meal off but not lucky enough to have them actually come inside. And it’s not their fault. They don’t have a village either. There’s never been a mother to bring them food and water. Never a grandma to cook their meals. Never sisters playing with their other children. Never cousins folding the laundry. Never neighbors taking care of the house and never friends providing support.

Our babies are biologically designed to wake often and eat often. We are biologically designed for a village. Be easy on yourself and your baby. We were never meant to live like this.

Follow Milkitivity on Instagram (I more active on there) https://www.instagram.com/milkitivity_/

Are you pregnant in Castlemaine and surrounds?
You have probably planned for your birth, but have you planned for your postpartum?
You need a village of support to care for you, cook nourishing food, nurture you with loving touch so you can rest and heal after birth. Your village can include family, friends and professionals.
I'm a Certified traditional Postpartum professional.
I Support mothers after birth to get the rest, care and community they need. Contact me to find out more. Download my free postpartum planning worksheet from my website:
www.sacredpostnatalharmony.com.au
Pic: Amanda Greavette Fine Art

While it's a good idea to think about birth plans, we should also be thinking about post birth plans.
Get support from family, friends or a postpartum doula to bring you nourishing food, nuture you and baby , so you can rest and recover after birth.

Repost ❤️
・・・
On days 3-5 post birth (this is also the time when your milk begin to come in) You will likely feel a whirlwind of emotions. We call this time “the weepy days.” By the time you give birth, your hormone levels have reached the highest possible levels. 
Throughout your pregnancy, your body produces estrogen and progesterone to support your health and your baby’s health. Then, within about three -five days after birth, those hormones return to baseline levels. My friend once said the hormonal drop after birth on day 3 - 5 is like taking 300 birth control pills and then stopping. This rapid drop in hormone levels is the biggest hormone change in the shortest timespan any person will ever experience. It’s faster than puberty, menopause, or any other big change you can think of. Everyone will experience this, but everyone will experience it differently. You might experience it but not feel the effects of it. Totally normal. Or, that bottoming out of hormones can affect your mood - you might be weepy, anxious, feeling out of sorts or out of control, mood swings. Plus - your milk is coming in, My friend says “when the tears flow the milk begins to flow.” Your body should regulate within 24-48 hours, but this is a great time to plan for extra support! It also helps to know whats happening with you on these days because you might feel like you’re going a little crazy or worried that something is really wrong with you. While it’s a great idea to work on birth plans, we should also be thinking of post-birth plans. That means having a support network in place especially around days 3-5. That could be friends, family, or a postpartum doula. Photo

Postpartum doula:
I'm a trained, non- medical professional who brings emotional and physical support and cares for mothers after birth.

WHO DO YOU WANT IN YOUR POSTPARTUM VILLAGE? People who understand the importance of nourishing meals during the recovery period and bring over delicious and healthy food, or people who bring coffee, and come equipped with a listening ear and words of encouragement. People who call before coming to visit, to ensure that they aren't interrupting a much-needed nap or a precious moment with your newborn.
It's important to plan your postpartum while you're pregnant. Download my free postpartum planning worksheet from my website.
www.sacredpostnatalharmony.com.au

This is how I want mothers to feel after birth.
Rested, cared for with nourishing food and nurturing, touch, loved and supported by a village.
Does this look like your vision for postpartum?
I can work with you to plan your postpartum, cook postpartum specific food, give you massages, come for weekly postpartum visits so you can rest, heal and feel like a postpartum queen.
Contact me to chat or book a free consultation with me to find out more:
www.sacredpostnatalharmony.com.au

Mothers deserve to be treated like a queen after birth.. Not having to do anything except rest and bond with their baby , because their village is.

This is why mothers need rest, care, and community after birth. They deserve to be loved, nourished and nurtured.

A really important part of postpartum support is to plan for your postpartum while you're pregnant.
One of my services is a 60-90 minute postpartum planning session in your home. We work together to plan your vision for you and your family after your baby arrives. We talk about your challenges, how to build your village, how you will get the rest, care, nourishment and nurturing you need to heal.
Contact me to book a postpartum planning session with me.

What does a postpartum care visit with me look like? It's 3 hous postpartum support in your home so you get the rest, nurturing, nourishment and care you need after birth. This can be a lovely massage to soothe your sore muscles, cooking postpartum specific food or family meals, holding your baby while you nap and shower, light housework, a listening ear or whatever physical, mental or emotional support you need that day.
Contact me to find out more:DM or
www.sacredpostnatalharmony.com.au

My parents visited when you were four weeks old. Dad quietly got to work. He cleaned our oven and fridge. The smell of Dettol filled our flat and felt like love.

Mum kept the washing rolling over and made the beds. They bought organic strawberries from a local farmers' market. "This will do you good. Get those vitamins zinging" Mum said.

They could see I was delirious with no sleep so they took you after a feed and packed me off to bed. I could hear them trying to pacify you for a wee while as I zonked out.

Dad apologetically nudged me from my slumber: "Sorry doll. He's hungry again." I didn't understand why he was apologising. I had woken up smiling and refreshed. "How long was I out for? It felt like ages" I said, as if I were emerging from a coma. Dad half-laughed his reply: "About 20 minutes".

Between feeds, Mum held you and you melted into her arms. You looked more content with her than with me. But I didn't mind. I put it down to the bigger b***s but really it was some innate calmness.

I watched her little ways. She knew exactly how to hold you. How to pat you. How to talk to you. "Tell me a wee story" she'd say as you looked up wide-eyed and round-mouthed. It felt like a masterclass in mothering that I needed to see. I had felt silly talking to you up until that point.

There is nothing quite so delicate as a first-time mum. She will never forget the way people tried to help. Those who wrapped her up in love and for a moment made her feel like a baby again.

Words: Mother Truths

Are you pregnant in Castlemaine and surrounds?
Mothers often feel exhausted, overwhelmed and isolated after birth. I support mothers to get the rest, care and community they need and deserve after birth. I'm a Certified traditional Postpartum birthworker. My services include in-home pregnancy and postpartum massages, cooking nourishing postpartum specific food and family meals, postpartum care visits and Closing of bones. I would love to talk with you about how we can work together so you can have the support and care you need after the birth of your baby.
Contact me to chat or book a massage:
www.sacredpostnatalharmony.com.au
M: 0429167059

It takes a village to raise a child and family 💜

We were never meant to live like this. Want to know why you’re so tired? It’s not just because your baby wakes all night. It’s not just because you’re nursing 24/7. It’s not because of your baby’s biological needs. It’s because we were never meant to live like this. In so much isolation. So alone. We were meant for a village. We were meant to lay in bed for weeks/months feeding and sleeping with our new baby while our mothers, grandmothers, sisters, cousins, neighbors, and friends helped out.

But there is no mother bringing us food and water. No grandma cooking the meals. No sisters playing with the other children. No cousins folding the laundry. No neighbors taking care of the house, and no friends providing support. Modern life is in constant conflict with childrearing and our biological needs. From returning to work at 6 weeks postpartum to little to no support in the postpartum period. The truth is many of us are just lucky enough to have someone drop a meal off but not lucky enough to have them actually come inside. And it’s not their fault. They don’t have a village either. There’s never been a mother to bring them food and water. Never a grandma to cook their meals. Never sisters playing with their other children. Never cousins folding the laundry. Never neighbors taking care of the house and never friends providing support.

Our babies are biologically designed to wake often and eat often. We are biologically designed for a village. Be easy on yourself and your baby. We were never meant to live like this.

Follow Milkitivity on Instagram ➡️ https://www.instagram.com/milkitivity_/

Are you having a baby?
You have probably planned for the birth, but what about planning for after the birth? On your transition to motherhood, you need and deserve support and care from a whole village while you rest, recover and heal after birth. You need to be mothered, as you learn to mother your baby. You need to be nurtured, nourished and loved. How are you going to prepare for life with a new baby?
Prepare for postpartum before your baby arrives so you get the rest, care and confidence to have a positive postpartum.
Contact me to find out how to plan for your postpartum and feel loved and supported.
www.sacredpostnatalharmony.com.au

And as her womb shrinks back down, smaller and smaller,
so too does the attention and care she receives from the world around her. She's passed it on now, to this baby. The one she grew in the very same place that's shrinking.
People have asked "How's the baby?" or "How was the birth?" But no one has taken the time to look her in the eyes and ask her "How are you?"
And as the part of her that awarded so much praise,
so much inquiry, so much attentiveness, tenderness and care is fading away, so is she.
And now, although her whole world is entirely different, she must re-enter it just the same.
This Mother-
The one who's priorities and internal organs have been entirely rearranged, had just weeks to bond with, learn to feed and soothe her new baby.
*This is why new mothers need rest, support and nurturing🤱
www.sacredpostnatalharmony.com.au

(Re post: Fourth trimester Collective)
*Image:

Your postpartum village can look like.....
Support from family and friends, neighbours online and phone support, food delivery/meal train, a cleaning service, health professionals, an in- home massage therapist and a postpartum doula.
You can never have too much postpartum support.